Dog boarding in Britain: 4 checks you must make — will your £35-a-night stay keep tails wagging?

September fades and travel plans return, but your dog’s comfort hangs in the balance when strangers promise cosy care nearby.

Across the country, kennels, home boarders and luxury suites compete for your booking. Prices look tidy. Photos look spotless. Yet the gap between a calm, secure stay and a week of barking, sleepless stress can be one phone call wide. Here are the four checks that separate slick marketing from genuine welfare.

Four checks every owner should demand

Pick the right boarding model

Boarding isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your choice of setting shapes every hour of your dog’s stay. In Britain, you’ll find three broad models: home-style family boarding, traditional collective kennels, and individual suites or pods.

Match the environment to temperament, not looks. A boisterous spaniel may wilt in a quiet lounge. A nervous rescue might cope better with a steady, predictable kennel than a bustling family home. Ask yourself: does your dog seek noise and company, or choose space and calm?

Choose the setting for your dog’s daily rhythm, not for your taste in décor.

Test the people, not just the pens

Facilities matter, but staff competence keeps dogs safe. Look past “we love dogs” slogans. Ask about training, emergency drills and behaviour know-how.

• How many years have you boarded dogs, and how many dogs do you manage on a busy night?
• What’s your staff-to-dog ratio at peak times? Aim for 1:8 to 1:10 or better for mixed groups.
• Who handles first aid and medications? Show me the written protocol.
• How do you separate dogs in conflict or stress? Describe a recent case and the outcome.
• What evidence do you share daily? Photos, notes, appetite, stool, sleep?

Medication and diet need precision. Confirm dosing times, storage, and sign-off. If your dog needs eye drops at 7am and 7pm, the timetable must reflect that, not “morning and evening when we can”.

Competent boarding teams anticipate scuffles, spot subtle pain, and act before problems escalate.

Visit unannounced and read the room

A website can sparkle. A surprise visit tells the truth. Ask for a walk-through outside collection and feeding times. You’re looking for clean water bowls, dry bedding, non-slip floors, fresh air, and secure fencing with double gates. In autumn, check for draughts, condensation and damp bedding. Quiet kennels signal good management; wall-to-wall barking suggests arousal and poor enrichment.

Ask about time outdoors. Adult dogs need movement, even in rain. Many centres promise “three outings a day”; get specifics: how long, on lead or off, individual or group, where do reactive dogs walk?

If you can’t see the exercise spaces, the routines, and the sleeping areas, you can’t judge welfare.

Respect for your dog’s routine

Calm comes from predictability. Your dog’s food, sleep and play patterns should travel with them. Bring measured meals. Note allergies. Provide the same harness and a familiar blanket. Ask the team to mirror feeding times and cue words.

For senior or sensitive dogs, small tweaks matter: lower platforms for joints, extra toilet breaks, and a quiet zone away from young barkers. For slow eaters, request a separate feeding space. For high-energy breeds, insist on structured sniffing games, not just ball-chasing and hype.

Routine reduces stress hormones; tiny consistencies—same food, same walk cue—steady the stay.

Licences, jabs and insurance you should verify

Every boarding provider should hold a current local authority licence in the UK. Ask to see it. Vaccination checks protect everyone. Centres often require core vaccinations and a recent kennel cough jab; some insist on flea and worm cover within a set window. If your vet has waived a vaccine for medical reasons, get the exemption letter in writing.

Unexpected bills can follow a minor scrape or an upset stomach. Clarify who pays the vet if something goes wrong and how the provider reaches you. Many centres partner with a local 24-hour clinic. Ensure your microchip details are current and your pet insurance covers boarding incidents.

What stress looks like on day one, day three and day five

Stress ebbs and flows. Day-one adrenaline can mask distress; by day three, the dog either settles or starts to fray. Ask the team to share objective notes: appetite, stools, sleep duration, vocalisation, and engagement in play. A quick photo of a wagging tail won’t reveal diarrhoea overnight or pacing at 2am.

• Day 1: expect alertness, sniffing, reduced appetite.
• Day 3: look for deeper sleep, normal stools, relaxed posture in pen.
• Day 5: steady eating, interest in handlers, flexible response to routine.

Red flags you should walk away from

Strong ammonia smells. Reused, unlabelled medication syringes. A reluctance to show sleeping areas. Staff who can’t name behavioural signs of stress. Vague answers on emergency transport. Hard sell tactics. If it feels rushed or secretive, step back.

Make a mini trial your secret weapon

Book a two-hour settle session, then a single overnight before your trip. Watch your dog’s behaviour at pick-up. Does your dog bounce towards staff, or pull for the exit? Did they eat? Did they nap? A calm return and soft body language suggest you’ve found the right fit. If not, adjust the model or provider, not your standards.

Questions to close your shortlist

• Can you accommodate my dog’s feeding timetable to the hour?
• What is your plan if my dog won’t eat for 24 hours?
• How do you manage mixed-size group play?
• Do you crate, and if so, how long and why?
• What enrichment do you offer in bad weather?

Costing your trip without nasty surprises

Budget beyond the headline rate. Add peak-period supplements, solo-walk fees, heating surcharges in colder months, medication handling, and pickup windows. A five-night stay at £35 per night can reach £240–£280 with extras. Ask for a written itemised estimate.

Packing list that calms anxious dogs

• Pre-measured meals in labelled bags, plus 10% extra.
• Current medication with written dosing schedule.
• Familiar blanket or T-shirt carrying your scent.
• Well-fitted harness and backup lead with ID tag.
• Chew that encourages licking or gnawing for self-soothing.

Health note: don’t sedate by default

Avoid routine sedatives for boarding unless your vet prescribes them for a specific condition. Many drugs blunt behaviour but raise risk in group settings. Training a calm settle cue and practising short separations at home often works better. Start two weeks before travel: feed in a separate room, close the door for two minutes, extend to ten, and reward quiet.

If your dog just isn’t a boarder

Some dogs never settle in kennels or busy homes. Consider insured, council-licensed sitters who stay in your house, or swap duties with a trusted friend and pay a professional for midday walks. The right choice respects your dog’s limits and protects your break.